James Comey is concerned — and confused — about Barr's spying comments


Former FBI Director James Comey is extremely confused about Attorney General William Barr's spying comments.
Comey spoke at a conference in California Thursday, one day after Barr told Congress that he believes spying on President Trump's 2016 campaign "did occur." "I don’t know what the heck he’s talking about," Comey said. He added that Barr's language was "concerning," because though the FBI and Department of Justice "conduct court-ordered surveillance," he has "never thought of that as spying," and it's a "wow" moment if Barr does.
Trump and his allies have accused the Justice Department of improperly obtaining a FISA warrant to surveil former Trump aide Carter Page adviser after he left the campaign.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Comey also said that while Barr has earned "a presumption that he'll be one of the rare Trump Cabinet members who will stand up for things like truth and facts and institutional values ... language like this makes it harder."
Meanwhile, Trump on Thursday celebrated Barr's comments, saying there "was absolutely spying into my campaign" and that Barr's statement was "a very accurate one."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Wonsan-Kalma: North Korea's new 'mammoth' beach resort
Under the Radar Pyongyang wants to boost tourism but there won't be many foreign visitors to Kim Jong Un's 'pet project'
-
The 5 best TV reboots of all time
The Week Recommends Finding an entirely new cast to play beloved characters is harder than it looks
-
Crossword: July 10, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read